Begin Again
by Patches531
Summary: Dawn will do anything to protect her younger brother Owen even if that means having to sleep inside a janitor closet in the Smithsonian and after hearing noises outside of the closet one night both Dawn and Owen witness the exhibits come to life. With the help of new friends and a certain mobster she gets her life back on track after being derailed several times. Post NATM 2.
1. Chapter 1

"Now your job is primarily to clean up before the museum opens and throughout the day. All of the carpets need to be vacuumed, fingerprints cleaned off of the glass cases, garbage needs to be taken out, floors mopped and the bathrooms need to be checked and cleaned regularly throughout the day." nodding mutely the raven haired woman made mental notes of everything that was being said to her before following the elderly janitor as he started his brisk pace again. It was her first day on the job and Mr. Wilke had already given her a new uniform and keys for the janitor closets and was taking her on a brief tour of the museum. Dawn Rutledge hastened her steps so she wouldn't lose Mr. Wilke in the crowds of tourists that were flooding the Smithsonian Castle. The golden glow of the late summer evening bathed the whole museum with an ethereal beauty which caused Dawn to shiver at the reminder that fall was fastly approaching. She noticed that Mr. Wilke was not beside her and mentally noted that he was very quick but she found him and quickened her steps to catch up with him.

"Now do you have any more questions?" Mr. Wilke turned to face Dawn as he stopped walking and found themselves in front of one of the janitor closets. Once again the raven haired woman just shook her head and the older man gave her the key to her supply closet and told her to be at the museum bright and early because it was going to be a busy day tomorrow and she was going to have a lot of hard work ahead. After Mr. Wilke left the young woman took a deep breathe and released it slowly in order to keep her tears at bay, quickly she turned around and made her way back to the main doors of the museum.

Constantly looking over her should and unable to shake the feeling of being watched the young woman was unaware of the person right in front of her until she collided with them and fell on the floor. Groaning slightly as she got up from the floor the man that she ran over jumped up from the ground and started fixing his clothes and dusting himself off. He was a gangly young man with rusty red hair that stuck up in every direction and his brown eyes quickly looked over Dawn in order to ensure that she wasn't hurt.

"I'm terribly sorry, I wasn't paying attention until I bumped into you then we fell and I started explaining myself and, yeah I'm just going to shut up now because I'm just talking in a circle," Dawn just raised her eyebrows and gave a small smile at the strange man's antics "I'm Sam." he stuck his hand out to her and she shook it and noticed that he was looking at her in a way that suggested that he wanted her to give him her own name.

"Dawn," she introduced herself then noticed that Sam was wearing the uniform used for tour guides "I just started working here and I was given the grand tour today before I start tomorrow."

"I must applaud you for being a janitor because I would never want to clean up after other people. I would probably just start yelling at them and tell them to clean up their own damn mess," Sam joked but received a strained smile from Dawn instead.

"I didn't really choose it because I wanted to clean up after people but because I need the money," she stated and effectively ended that conversation leaving the two in a state of awkward silence.

"Right, well it was nice seeing you and I'll see you around," Sam wished her a good night then walked away leaving Dawn alone. Sam was definitely an strange character but his awkward demeanor made her feel at ease.

Looking down at her watch she realizes that she is late and hurries to the bathrooms by the gift shop and heads to a small recess in the wall but stopped in her tracks when she noticed something missing. Seeing that the two small bags that she placed there were still there she whirled around to try and find where her missing brother was.

"Owen?" panic surged through her as she frantically searched through the crowds with her eyes looking for the small blonde figure of her brother. Finally she saw a short boy standing infront of the Information desk and looking over the colorful brochures. Practically running Dawn makes her way over and scoops her brother into her arms and hugs him.

"Dawn you are squishing me!" came the muffled cry from Dawn's seven year old brother Owen. She released him and put him on the ground and gave him a disapproving stare as she kneeled in front of him so she can look him in the eye.

"I thought I told you that you needed to stay put so I could find you again. I don't want you to wander off by yourself or for someone to take you," Owen lowered his green eyes that he and his sister inherited from their mother in shame.

"I'm sorry I scared you Dawn," he says softly. Dawn's scowl slowly melted away because she could never stay mad at her brother for very long and she accepted his apology but makes him promise to stay put if she tells him to. Leading Owen back to the small recess they sit on the floor together as they watch people come and go as Dawn feeds her brother food that she got from the vending machines. Owen sat next to her as he proudly showed her the brochures that he got and read them out loud to her while she listened and occasionally corrected him.

A loud voice called over the speaker and announced that the museum would be closing soon and Dawn told Owen to grab his Batman backpack and follow her. Grabbing her own bag and her brother's hand she maneuvered her way through the crowd but she made sure that nobody was watching them as she took the key that Mr. Wilke gave her and unlocked the janitor closet. Moving things out of the way she took out an old quilt and spread it out the hard concrete ground and sat down on it while her brother sat next to her.

"Dawn, why do we have to stay here?" Dawn looked down at her brother's jade eyes as he look around the small closet curiously and she tried desperately to hold back the tears.

"We need a place to sleep before winter comes so we won't be cold," she explained as gently as possible so he would understand "Don't worry little man we'll have a home again and you'll have your own bed, we just have to be patient okay?" Owen was silent for a while so he could process what his sister said to him and after a while he gave her small smile and nod. Dawn smiled at him then gave him a kiss on the forehead which resulted in her chuckling at him as he gave her a little pout and using his hand to wipe away the kiss. They both got into their pajamas and Dawn draped a blanket over them as they lie down. She ran her hand through Owen's soft hair and hummed softly until he fell asleep then she held her breath when she hears a couple guards pass by the closet as they make their final rounds for the night.

Staring at the ceiling as she listened to Owen's breathing Dawn realized how scared she truly is. She was in a museum closet with her little brother and she had no clue what to do next and she wasn't sure how they were going to get by. The weight that had been baring down on her was now suffocating her almost to the point of drowning in uncertainty. At least it was better than the previous hellhole they were living in and Dawn would be damned if she let her little brother ever see that bitch ever again because she would protect Owen with her life. Finally she was able to slip into unconsciousness and her burdens seemed to leave her for a little while.

Waking up early the next morning Dawn gently woke up Owen and gave him a granola bar from her bag. She straightened out her crumpled uniform and gathered the cleaning materials the she would need and loaded them up on her cart.

"Now remember to stay inside the closet with your books and toys, I'll be back throughout the day so you can go to the bathroom," Dawn instructed her brother then gave him a hug before she began her first day of work.

Mr. Wilke was surprised to see her up so early and already vacuuming the carpet but praised her and told her that he hopes that she will work hard like this every day. The museum opens and people slowly begin to trickle in to see the exhibits. She took a quick break in cleaning and quickly sneaked Owen out of the closet so he could go the bathroom before escorting him back and continuing with her work. She was cleaning the glass case of an exhibit when she felt a presence behind her and she froze.

"Al Capone," Dawn jumped slightly when she heard the voice but turned to see that it was just Sam standing behind her and giving her a goofy smile.

"What?"

"Al Capone," he repeated pointing to the figure of the fierce monochrome gangster that was behind the glass that she was just cleaning, "famous gangster during the 20s." Sam explained proudly but Dawn just gave him a quizzical look which caused him to shift nervously from foot to foot.

"I brought you coffee," he finally said holding out a foam cup out for her "I didn't know what you liked so it's black."

"Thanks." Dawn replied gratefully and took the cup and sat next to Sam on a bench drinking coffee as he told her more about the Chicago mob boss. Dawn thanked Sam again for the coffee and despite her protests he promised to bring her a doughnut next time.

Time seemed to move slowly after Sam's small distraction but she looked forward to every break because she went and saw her brother and made sure to take him to the bathroom and got him little snacks here and there. When she finally got done and was making her way back to the closet she passed by gift shop and saw the clearance table that was filled with different books. Stepping in the store and making her way to the table there was a thick text book that caught her eyes called _Eyewitness World History._ She took the hefty book in her hands and debated buying it for Owen but in the end she placed it back down where she found it and walked back out of the store dejected. She made her way to the vending machines, shifting through the changed that was in her pocket and placing it in the slot she gathered the snacks while her mind kept going back to that book. Dawn was halfway back to the closet when she stopped suddenly and started walking to Mr. Wilke's office with a determined gait. The man's was surprised when Dawn marched into his office and he was worried that she was quitting and he would have to find another janitor after only a day.

"How can I help you Dawn?" the woman in question gave him a small smile at his friendly disposition but then she quickly remembered the whole reason for visiting him.

"Are there any ways for me to pick up more shifts or get a second job here in the museum?" she questioned bluntly.

"Well you are picking up the maximum number of hours that we can give you," Seeing the young woman's shoulders slump in rejection he quickly added,"but you can always pick up other people's shifts if they can't make it in. In regards to getting another job I don't think there are any other open positions at the time but I can always inform you when there is an opening."

Dawn walked out of the office slightly deterred but she put a smile on her face as she opened the closet and slipped inside. While feeding her brother she asked him what he did that day and was sad to hear that he had read through all of his books and played with all of his toys but was bored for the rest of the day.

"How about on my first day off we take a tour of the museum and you can see all of the exhibits?" Dawn giggled as Owen quickly agreed and made her promise that they would see everything in the museum. After she got him to settle down later that night she was also about to drift off when she saw the museum lights turn on under the door. She was slightly tempted to get up and check to see what it was but she unexpectedly heard voices on the other side of the door in the museum.

 _It's probably the night guards_ , she reassured herself then tucked herself under the blanket and next to her brother. Her first day on the job was a success in her mind and although their sleeping and living conditions were not the best it was better than anywhere else at the moment and Dawn was determined to make sure that it was only temporary, overall she was...positive.

 _This could work_ , were her last thoughts before she fell asleep.

 **Hello! So this is a new story that I am working on for Night at the Museum and I have to say that I sadly do not own any of the characters in this franchise and that I only own Dawn, Owen, Sam and Mr. Wilke. My inspiration for this story is from watching** ** _The Pursuit of Happyness_** **and the book** ** _From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler_** **which is a book in which a brother and sister run away and live in a museum. This is Al Capone/OC and it is after the events of NATM2 which means that it will be longer (and hopefully better) than my last story. I would really love suggestions from you the reader because I already know that I am going to run out ideas fast for this story so if you want to see it succeed give me any and all suggestion because I need all of the help I can get. Thank you all again and I love you all! -Christina**


	2. Chapter 2

"Dawn wake up!" groaning the young woman blearily opened her eyes after hearing her brother's insistent tone "C'mon you promised to show me the museum."

Realizing that she wouldn't be getting any more sleep Dawn stretched her tired body then slowly stood up. Ever since she promised Owen that they would see the museum he would count down the days until her day off. Sadly it wasn't until several days off later that she was able to show Owen the museum since she was dead tired by then and would use the free day to catch up on sleep. She gave Owen a snack bar then slipped into her only pair of jeans and the t-shirt of the college she attended before the...incident.

She was clearing up their small sleeping area when her stomach twisted and gave a loud groan in hunger since she had been skipping breakfast for several days. Owen just looked at his sister in worry but before she could assure him that she was fine he split his bar and gave half to her.

"Thanks little man," She took the offered food then ruffled her brother's hair affectionately. Dawn ate her portion quietly while she listened to Owen's babble about everything that he wanted to see, after they finished Dawn cracked open the door and ensured that nobody was watching as both of them sneaked out of the closet and she locked it behind them.

They walked out of the entrance and onto the street where they watched the hustle and bustle of people and cars in silence for several seconds before Dawn turned to her brother and gave him a mischievous smile.

"Where to first?" the seven-year-old gave his sister a smile in return and pointed in the direction of the Air and Space museum and together they began their adventure. They walked through the entire museum and every exhibit was thoroughly examined by Owen while she just followed him while he practically skipped from room to room. Dawn was pretty sure that she was grinning like an idiot but every time they saw a different artifact her brother would read the plaque that described it then he would explained the artifact to her like he was the expert in the topic and she decided that the maniac smile that was plastered on her brothers face was priceless.

After they were done exploring Air and Space they took a break and grabbed something to eat from one of the food vendors, sitting underneath a tree both brother and sister sat down to enjoy their food and each others company. Dawn felt her eyelids grow heavier as Owen continued to talk about all of his favorite exhibits so far and about which planes they saw were the coolest looking.

"Dawn?" the raven haired woman's eyes sprung open as she saw the familiar face of Sam standing right in front of her. She saw Sam look at her in surprise then quickly look over to Owen who in turn gave the strange man that knew his sister a skeptical glare.

"Hi, what are you doing here?" Dawn rose quickly to her feet and swept any grass that was on her pants off and gave Sam a somewhat friendly smile.

"I'm was grabbing some food when I saw you, I hope that I wasn't interrupting anything with your..." Sam waited for Dawn to fill in the blank as he motioned to Owen who was standing next to his sister.

"This is my brother Owen, I'm showing him the exhibits since it's my day off," Dawn explains and sees what looks like a flicker of relief flash across Sam's eyes as he gave her a beaming smile.

"Splendid! Where are you guys heading next?" the enthusiastic tone that came from the red haired man threw Dawn off a little bit but she bent over and started picking up the trash from their lunch. Both Sam and Owen followed her as she threw away the trash but she didn't notice the threatening glare that Owen gave Sam while her back was turned.

"Um...we just finished Air and Space and Owen wanted to go see the Natural History museum before we have to get back."

"How about I give you two a personal tour?" Sam winked at Dawn and gave her his version of a charming smile and it was hard to contain her laughs but she covered them up with coughing.

"We wouldn't want to impose," Dawn motions to herself and her brother who looks increasingly frustrated and tugging on his sisters arm in order to make her move.

"Nonsense, it would be an pleasure madam," Sam gave a little bow which made Dawn laugh and look over to her brother who reluctantly gave his sister a shrug of his shoulders. Together the little trio made their way through the museum and Dawn instantly realized that both males were trying to vie for her attention. While Sam was trying to impress her with his vast knowledge of everything in the museum Owen was constantly reminding both adults that he was there with them by adding in his opinions or little facts.

"I thought we would never get rid of him," Dawn gave a sigh of relief after Sam finally said goodbye to them, giving her brother a reassuring smile she noticed that he was staring at her funny and giving her a smug little smile.

"He _liiikeeess yoouu_ ," Owen taunted his older sister which caused her to roll her eyes and push him over slightly which then caused him to giggle even more hysterically. They walked back to the entrance and looked outside to see sheets of rain pounding down from the sky and lightning flash across the dark sky.

"Run!" Dawn grabbed Owen's hand and they ran as fast as they could but by the time they made it back to their closet they were completely drenched.

"I won't have to wash my hair tonight right? Because my hair is drenched from the rain so it's clean," Dawn laughed at her brother's comment but noticed his chattering teeth and made the decision that they needed to get out of their wet clothes as fast as possible. Knowing that everyone was gone by now both siblings quickly walked to the bathrooms and went about their bedtime ritual.

"Did you have fun today little man?" Dawn inquired once they were settled back in their closet.

"It was the best! Thanks Dawn," The raven haired woman gave a short grunt when her brother practically tackled her in a hug.

"No problem bud but I have one last surprise for you," prying Owen off of her she took the _Eyewitness World History_ book out from her janitor's cart. Once Dawn got her first paycheck she immediately deposited a majority of it into a savings account then used some to buy food for Owen and herself. Finally, she used the rest of it to purchase the book which she automatically deemed as a good investment as soon as she saw Owen's shocked face and wide eyes while she presented the book to him.

"This is amazing! Thank you soooo much!" taking the book from his sister like it was a precious treasure Owen immediately sat down and started flipping through the pages. Dawn just sat back and watched her little brother's maniac grin as he read some of the pages but eventually she started to notice that his eyelids started to slowly close.

"You'll have plenty of time to read it tomorrow little man, right now we both have to get to sleep," Reluctantly Owen gave his new book back and settled down under the blankets. After putting the book away and assuring that he was comfortable Dawn also wrapped herself up in a blanket and was out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillow.

It felt fantastic to take a break and just hang out with Owen, but the next day Dawn was ready to return to work. Any chance she got she would switch hours with her co-workers and after a while the long workdays started to take their toll as

Today was no exception as Dawn was dead on her feet as she practically dragged herself into their closet. She barely sat down before her brother was setting his new book down on her lap and pointing to the pictures with a huge grin on his face.

"Dawn look at this!" Owen pointed to a picture of four sarcophagi only one of them had a carved human head while the others were a bird, monkey and a dog looking thing with big ears, "The Ancient Egyptians would stick the different organs in four different canopic jars while they were mummifying a body. The hawk held the intestines, the baboon would contain the lungs, the jar with the jackal head had the stomach, and finally the liver was in the human jar."

"That's cool little man," she gave her brother a tired smile and listened to her brothers daily history lesson that he gave her from what he learned from his book. As the hours passed by it didn't take too long until both brother and sister fell asleep leaning against each other.

Waking up in the middle of the night in desperate need to relieve himself Owen took one look at his sleeping sister and snuck out of the closet as quietly as possible so Dawn wouldn't wake up. Although she tried to hide it over the past several days he saw how tired Dawn really was. She would always smile and reassure him that she was fine but he knew that she was worn out and was working too hard. Making sure to close the door as softly as he could Owen ran as fast as his short legs could go and he made it to the bathroom in record time.

Owen Rutgers was a very smart boy. Just like his older sister he was always thinking and planning ahead before taking action. Although many people mistook his silence for being shy in actuality he was more of an observer which caused other people and even his own sister sometimes to underestimate him.

After exiting the bathroom Owen decided that he didn't want to return to the closet right away so instead he started walking around the museum. It was quiet but the lights were still on and Owen couldn't contain his excitement as he ran from room to room in the museum. Although he did miss his own bed and his old toys from time to time how many other kids his age got to say that they lived in a museum? It was like a dream come true for him and all he had to do now was convince Dawn that it wasn't so bad.

Owen didn't even realize where he was going until he was standing right outside of a room that reminded him of an old church. The ceiling was vaulted and every step that he took seemed to echo throughout the deathly quiet room. It reminded Owen of a church or a cathedral as the light from the moon bathed the room and casted shadows on the wall as he crept closer into the room. Feeling unnerved he was ready to turn around head back when something on the opposite side of the room caught his attention. It was big and had Egyptian hieroglyphs all over it but it didn't look like anything he had seen in his book, Owen noticed the card next to it stating that it was the _Gate to the Underworld._ Stepping closer to it he could slightly hear a faint humming noise coming from it so he reached out his hand and was just about to touch it-

"Hey kid! Who are you?" Owen gave out a small yelp when he heard a voice coming from behind him and turned to face whoever scared him. Automatically he was taken aback by the fact that the man standing right in front of him was dressed in a pinstriped suit with a gun hanging by his side but what really perplexed the seven year old was the fact that he was completely black and white.

"I'm Owen," he replied simply and the man gave a small smile, "Who are you?"

"Al." the famous gangster replied offering the boy his hand and after a moment of hesitation Owen took the hand that was offered to him and shook it. Owen stared at Al for a moment and recognized him from his history book.

"Al Capone?" he asked just to make sure.

"Ya know me?" Al was both surprised and pleased that the young boy recognized him but at the time it was more important to get Owen back to wherever he came from.

"Are ya lost?" Capone was on his nightly patrol when he noticed the small boy in front of Kahmunrah's portal. After the events of the Battle of the Smithsonian all of the exhibits were surprised when the next night and every night since then there were still able to come to life without the help of the tablet. Eventually a truce was extended to the ex-henchmen of Kahmunrah and it was agreed that all of the museums that created the Smithsonian needed to be united. They also decided that each museum needed to be patrolled so that everyone was protected to ensure that such a catastrophic event would never happen again.

"No, I know my way back to the closet," Owen replied confidently but Al saw the boy's eyes flicker to his gun which made the monochrome gangster smile.

"Don't be scared it's only a prop," kneeling in front of the kid he lifted his gun up in front of him so he could get a good look "See? It doesn't even have any bullets in it."

As the kid got a good look at his gun with curiosity instead of fear and Al even allowed him to hold it before looking back at him with one of his eyebrows raised, "If it doesn't have bullets then why do you have it?"

"It intimidates people, they see it and they know that I mean business and not to mess with me. Besides, what kind of gangster would I be if I didn't have my trusty Tommy?"

"Where are your parents Owen?" Capone questioned, surprised that nobody had come by searching for the boy yet.

"We don't really talk about them much, it's just me and my sister Dawn," the kid admitted but by the sad tone in his voice Al understood that it would probably be best to drop that conversation.

"She a good sister?" Capone asked instead.

"She's awesome! She was took me the museums," Owen's face lit up in happiness then quickly changed to disgust, "then Sam came and joined us. I don't like him the greatest because he is a know-it-all and likes my sister."

"Your the man of the family now, it's normal to want to protect your sister from other men," the gangster nodded his head in understanding.

"I'm glad someone understands! Sometimes Dawn treats me like I'm still a baby, I'm seven! I don't need to be treated like a little kid." Owen crossed his arms and gave a small pout.

"She's just trying to protect you kid."

"I thought you said that I'm suppose to protect her?" Owen frowned and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Owen, you and your sister are a team. Since she is older your sister needs to protect you and care for you but at the same time you also need to protect her from anyone that could hurt her. Understand?" the kid was quiet for a while until he nodded his head slightly in agreement and Al patted him on the shoulder.

"I've gotta continue with my patrol, do you want to join me?" Capone questioned as he stood up but the boy just shook his head.

"I should go back," the gangster nodded his head in understanding and gave the kid a hat tip before he turned around and walked out of the room. Feeling exhausted he made his way back to the closet where he found his sister was still asleep and none the wiser about his little midnight excursion. Thinking back to his conversation that he had with the gangster and watching his older sister sleep Owen believed that he had found a way to convince Dawn that living in the museum had its quirks.

 **Hello! I am just going to say right now that I am absolutely tired and exhausted. I just came back from visiting relatives in Michigan so I know already that my grammar is going to be atrocious in this chapter so I am sorry to all of you out there who are really good at grammar and are cringing at my butchering of English. Moving on, while I was on my trip I made a promise that I would finish this chapter so I hope that you are enjoying this story so far. Please give me some feedback in the review section and just as a side note I am also up for suggestions for possible one-shots of Capone/OC because some days I feel like writing and would like the challenge so just PM me. Thank you to everyone and anyone that has read, favorited, followed, or reviewed my stories! -Christina**


	3. Chapter 3

"Dawn wake up!" groaning the young woman blearily opened her eyes after hearing her brother's insistent tone.

"I'm sensing a pattern," Dawn grumbled before heaving her weary body up so she could face Owen. Although she wanted nothing more than to curl up and go back to sleep she knew deep down that her brother was her first priority. Instead she took a deep breath and gave Owen a big smile to show him that she was awake and paying attention to him.

"What's up little man?" shivering because of the cold air in the small room Dawn slowly pulled the toasty warm blankets off in order to keep as much warmth as possible while slowly getting up.

"What are we doing today?" slightly unprepared for that question and trying to rack her brain for an answer to the question it took a long while to admit that she had absolutely no idea what to do.

"How about we just walk around and see what kind of trouble we can get into?" it wasn't the best idea but it would keep them occupied for a while and maybe they could find something fun to do together. The duo got ready for the day and Dawn made sure that Owen had his jacket zipped up to keep warm since yesterday she heard several security guards discussing how the weather was suppose to decline during the weekend.

Staying close to his sister's side while they walked through the museum Owen noticed one of the exhibits and the familiar scowl of the person behind the glass. Smiling in excitement Owen turned to his sister to tell her about his late night adventure.

"Guess what Dawn?"

"What?" Looking down the raven haired woman smiled at her brother who was giving her a mischievous smile.

"I met him last night." Fear rushed through Dawn's body and she felt numb at what Owen had told her. If someone knew that her and Owen had been living in the museum then they would be kicked out and all these terrible things that could happen to them came rushing to her mind.

"What are you talking about? Who did you meet last night?" Dawn immediately stopped walking and gave her full attention to what Owen was saying.

"Him! I met Al Capone last night after I went to the bathroom and we talked for a while." freezing for a second to try and wrap her head around what her brother said Dawn followed Owen's finger that was pointing at the exhibit. Releasing the breath that she was holding Dawn felt the tension drain from her body as she

"Oh yeah? And what did Mr. Capone say?" the young boy gave his older sister a huge smile and told her about how he meet the gangster. Dawn always knew that Owen had a very creative imagination and from an early age Dawn remembered being told her creativity came from her father's side of the family.

"He told me that I'm the man of the family and that I need to protect you but it's also your job to protect me and take care of me too." Owen answered.

"It's true," Dawn stated seriously then gave Owen a reassuring smile "I promise that you will always be my first priority because your welfare comes before anything else."

"C'mon let's go cause some trouble." the raven hair woman ruffled the young boy's hair which caused him to stick his tongue out at her. As soon as they stepped outside of the warm building both siblings started shaking slightly at the bitter wind that was blowing. Reaching over Dawn made sure that the hood on Owen's coat was up in order to keep his head warm. Frowning slightly Dawn made a mental note to buy some cheap gloves and a scarf for Owen but in the mean time she made sure that his hands staid in his pockets.

After walking around for a bit both brother and sister finally came upon a park that was teeming with children and adults who were enjoying the weather before it turned cold. Dawn took a seat on a bench and Owen took off towards the playground. While on the monkey bars Dawn noticed several boys about Owen's age approach him and from the hand gestures and the basketball in one of the kid's hands Dawn assumed that they wanted Owen to play with them. Owen turned to Dawn and she gave him a smile and a nod in affirmation so her brother ran off with the other boys to the basketball court.

"Hello Dawn." whirling around the emerald eyed woman turned her head to see the smiling face of her co-worker wearing a leather jacket and checked scarf.

"Mr. Wilke! I didn't expect to see you here." scooting over the older man took a seat next to her and took a sip out of the Styrofoam cup in his hand.

"It's a small world isn't it?" he quoted then pointed over to the swings where a woman was pushing a small toddler in her seat. "I'm here with my sister and great-niece."

"I'm here with my little brother," Dawn pointed out Owen to her co-worker where he and the other boys were playing around-the-world with the basketball.

"How old is he?"

"He'll be eight in about four months," she stated proudly. Dawn was amazed at how Owen was able to still stay happy despite the situation they were in. He was such a smart boy and it saddened Dawn to think that he should be going to school instead of being cooped up in a storage closet.

"You know, I've been talking to the head of security Mr. Elston lately and he is in need of a new night guard." Dawn's eyes were wide with disbelief at his news because it could open up a plethora of opportunities for Owen and herself. If she landed this job then she could get some more money in order to move them out of the museum and enroll Owen into a school.

"Really?" Dawn queried.

"Apparently they've been having a hard time getting anyone that they employ to stay longer than two nights." Dawn was so wrapped up in thinking about what she would do next to ensure that she got the job that she almost missed Mr. Wilke say "They all keep saying that the exhibits are moving or some strange nonsense like that."

"I can't guarantee anything, but I can give him a letter of recommendation if you interested." Mr. Wilke kept going even though Dawn was thoroughly confused by his statement about the exhibits moving. Mentally she thought about how Owen also said that he talked to a moving museum exhibit but she just dismissed it as a coincidence.

"Thank you so much Mr. Wilke, you have no idea how much this means to me." Dawn wasn't sure how she would ever be able to pay him back for this but Mr. Wilke just smiled and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"It's no problem at all Dawn," noticing his sister and niece waiting for him by the swings Mr. Wilke got up from the bench and gave the woman a mischievous smile. "Keep warm and I'll see you tomorrow," unwrapping the scarf from around his neck he placed it on Dawn's lap then started walking away.

Gazing at her co-worker in awe at his kindness to her and Dawn felt very grateful having someone like Mr. Wilke. Wrapping the scarf around her neck Dawn turned her head back to the basketball court to see Owen running back to her with a smile on his face.

"Have fun?" She questioned once her got close enough. Looking at Owen's rosy cheeks it worried her a little bit and she saw his hands and Dawn took his freezing little hands in hers and started rubbing them to get some warmth back.

"Yeah I had a ton of fun! Do you think we could come back again so I can play with them?" Dawn smiled at Owen's excitement and pulled his hood back up onto her head. Getting up from the bench the siblings started walking again.

"We'll have to see but for now let's go get warmed up." Together they made their way to a small dinner where they both ordered hot chocolate and Owen told Dawn all about his amazing game of basketball and all of the boys he met. With their bodies nice and warm they went back to the museum where they both fell asleep nice and warm.

Sneaking out of the closet again later that night Owen once again felt drawn to the eerie cathedral room and the Egyptian sarcophagus. Sitting down in front of it Owen flipped through his book seeing if it was in it or if there was any way to translate the hieroglyphs. Suddenly the humming noise started coming from the gate again and if Owen listened closely he could swear that it almost sounded like whispers coming from the artifact.

"Hey kid, you came back!" Capone was surprised when he saw the kid he meet last night once again standing in front of Khamunrah's gate. The kid yelped and jumped in surprise which cause Al to smile and laugh.

"It's Owen!" the young boy exclaimed but the gangster just gave him a smug grin. Owen got up and picked up his book and forgot about the weird whispering to scowl at Capone.

"So, why are you out for another midnight stroll?" Al questioned as he leaned against the doorway.

"Just felt like it." Owen shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly "I told my sister what you told me last night and she agreed although I don't think she believes me though that you are alive."

"Sometimes it's harder for adults to believe in something that they can't see in front of them," Owen nodded his head sadly and Capone stood up straight and thought of a way to get the kid happy again, "C'mon kid I'll show you around the museum and you can meet the others."

 **Hello! I'm sorry about the terrible grammar in this chapter and I promise that next chapter there will be more of our favorite gangster so don't worry about that! Once again thank you soooo much to those of you that have reviewed, favorited, or followed this story because I wouldn't be writing without you guys!**

 **Eleiriel** \- I have not given up on this story yet and I'm so glad that you are enjoying it! I hope that you will continue to read this story and I really hope that I won't let you down! Thank you so much for your support!

 **IKhandoZatman** \- I can definitely see how you would compare Gavroche to Owen (I had Look Down and Little People stuck in my head after reading your comment). When creating this character I wanted Owen to be this passionate boy that was mature for his age. He is always trying to help out Dawn and he just wants her to be happy. I'm really glad that you are enjoying Owen because I really love writing for him.


	4. Chapter 4

**I own tootilly-fruitilly nothing from Night at the Museum except for my OCs.**

"So what do ya want to see first? You've got the whole museum to choose from," Owen was hopping up in down with excitement as he followed the notorious gangster down the dimly-lit hall. All of the different possibilities flashed through the seven-year-old's mind, but he couldn't come up with a good solution. There were just too many exhibits that he would like to discover and not enough time before he would have to go back to the closet.

"What's your favorite exhibit?" He looked up at Capone and asked. Taken slightly aback by the sudden question Al looked at the sandy-haired boy who was waiting patiently for his response.

"I think I have an idea, c'mon it's this way," the young boy hesitated slightly and looked back at the hallway where Dawn was sleeping unaware what he was up to. Owen felt a mixture of giddiness and guilt the farther he got away from the slightly claustrophobic closet that he shared with his sister. He felt bad that he didn't even tell Dawn that he was leaving but at the same time the allure of rebellion was too tempting. Knowing that he was on his own adventure and that he was hanging out with a historical figure that was suppose to be dead made the guilt of leaving his sister lessen slightly.

"Try to keep up kid!" Al chided teasingly, gripping his book tighter to his small frame Owen followed Capone's long strides as fast as his little legs could go.

"I have short legs and you're taking big steps!" The seven year old retorted while catching up with the monochrome gangster, "And I told you that my name is Owen."

Capone couldn't help but tease the kid and smile at the scowl that graced his small face. There was just something about the kid that made Al instantly like him and his spirit. He was smart as a whip and acted older than his age yet he could tell that Owen was just trying his hardest to be brave despite the circumstances. Boys his age should be in school with other kids his age, running and rough housing with the boys and picking on and pranking the girls he liked. Instead he and his sister were stuck living in a closet.

Although the world today was far more technologically advanced than what they had in his era you would think that poverty wouldn't be an issue. Back during the Depression he did his part in helping by opening soup kitchens and handing out food to the hungry people that were out on the street because of the crash. Some whiz kid or genius somewhere should've come up with some solution that would've solved this problem by now. But in the end some people were just given the short end of the stick and Owen and his sister were a testament to that.

"Where are we even going?" Snapping out of his thoughts he returned his attention to Owen. The kid wasn't worried about the immediate future but instead was just happy to be in the now, and that was something Capone could definitely admire.

"American History building, that's where the real party will be," Manoeuvering them through the halls Al kept his eyes out for any trouble since it was his responsibility to patrol the Castle and especially Kahmunrah's gate. Although there hadn't been anymore incidents with it every once in a while Al could've sworn that he could see it start to glow out of the corner of his eye.

Together the gangster and the seven-year-old made their way out of the Castle and out into the brisk night air. Owen kept them occupied on their walk over to the other museum by regaling Capone with stories of his sister and himself which only caused Al to further question what forced the brother and sister duo into their current situation.

Finally making it to the American History museum Al held the door open for him and Owen was unable to contain his excitement as he walked through. Not even ten steps in Al heard a familiar but annoying voice call out.

"Monsieur Capone!" Owen noticed his guide's shoulders tense at the sound of the voice calling his name. Putting a hand in the kid's shoulder Al directed them so they were quickly walking away from the voice. The gangster looked over his shoulder to find their short pursuer right behind them and Owen followed suit and almost tripped over his own feet. Following behind them was a man with a big hat and a lot of metals pinned to his chest.

"Just ignore him and maybe he will go away," even after the battle and the shaky trust that was built between Ivan, Napoleon and himself Capone couldn't help but tease and annoy the Frenchman.

"Monsieur Capone I know you are ignoring me!" Al gave out a really loud groan and Owen laughed at the gangster's misfortune. Realizing that Napoleon wouldn't give up until he talked to him Capone turned around to grudgingly give his attention to the Emperor.

"Whaddya want Frenchie? Can't you see I'm busy with the kid?" The monochrome gangster crossed his arms in a defensive matter as he nodded his head at the small boy standing next to him. Napoleon gave a short bow and smile to the boy in acknowledgement before turning back to the gangster.

"I've just been informed by several exhibits that they have heard that there will be a new addition coming in pretty soon and that-"

"That's nice small fry but right now I'm taking Owen here on a tour, right kid?" Capone interrupted and gave Napoleon a smug smile. He lifted his hand to rest it on Owen's shoulder but when he lowered it his hand met nothing but empty air. Eyes widening in alarm he looked down at the space where the kid was a second ago to find that he had disappeared.

"Where did the kid go?" Al turned around but her couldn't find the kid anywhere. Panicking slightly Capone took off leaving behind the yelling Frenchman calling to him to come back.

While the monochrome bootlegger and French Emperor were talking Owen was distracted by the amazing sight in front of him. It was almost as if the museum was open again with the amount of people and activity happening around them. He feet were already moving underneath him as he walked further into the building. A couple walked by in Victorian era clothes and the man tipped his hat at Owen while Dumbo the elephant flew by in the air. Realizing that he had walked away from the gangster Owen was unaware of where he was and was about to turn back when he heard muffled music coming from somewhere and followed it until upon what the young boy could only describe as a dance party.

There were people of different ethnicities and some of them where even monochrome like Capone dancing but nobody seemed to mind since they were all too busy dancing and having the time of their lives. Getting closer to the action Owen noticed that the music was coming from a painting that was on the wall. The painting was very colorful with a lot of pinks, blues, oranges and yellows and in it there were a bunch of musicians playing. There was several trombone, saxophone and trumpet players and from what Owen heard and how much the dancers were enjoying the music they were really good!

The music was fast paced and the drum kept the steady tempo as the saxophone and trumpets had an almost gritty sound to them. Tearing his gaze away from the band Owen turned his attention back to the dancers. Everyone had a different way of dancing which made a huge smile to break out across his face even though it was hard to choose which pair to watch. Owen noticed a very lovely blonde lady in a red dress dancing with a man in a navy uniform that Owen recognized was from WWII. He watched the man lift her up in the air with no effort then put her down again in order to twirl her then dip her down between his legs then up again. It happened so fast that it practically made Owen's own head spin and he saw that the blonde lady had noticed him watching which made blush when she winked at him.

He saw her whisper something into the man's ear before leaving him and walking over to Owen with one of her hands held out to him.

"Wanna dance, sugar?" The lady asked which caused Owen to momentarily freeze. Knowing that it's not polite to keep such a beautiful lady like her waiting Owen lovingly put down his book and took her hand. Smiling down at him the blonde took both of his hands and lead him closer to the dancing. Although they were dancing slightly slower than the others and he couldn't do any of the fancy moves because of their height difference Owen enjoyed dancing with the lady. They were both laughing and smiling and he especially liked it when she would spin him.

The song ended far too soon for Owen's liking but he thanked the pretty lady for the dance and she gave him a peck on the cheek in response before saying goodbye and rejoining her previous partner. Owen's cheeks were tomato red when he picked his book back up and he was about to leave when he faintly heard somebody call his name.

"Owen!" Al had been frantically looking everywhere for the kid and when he finally did he was dancing with a very nice looking gal. He had to applaud the kid's choice in females but right now he had to get Owen back before the sun came up. Reaching the seven-year-old Capone couldn't help but smile.

"I know that I'm just made of wax but you almost gave me a heart attack!" Al joked but judging by Owen's guilty stare he didn't appreciate the joke. The gangster just gave him a reassuring smile and ruffled his hair.

"Sorry for running off," He apologized to Al but the gangster just shrugged his shoulder.

"Eh, it's no big deal. It happened and now it's done and all we can do now is move forwards," Owen gave him a sleepy smile and Al noticed that he was having a hard time standing up so he placed a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him steady, "C'mon kid I'll walk you back."

They got back and Owen could barely keep both eyes open as said goodbye to the gangster ruffled his hair as he bid the kid goodnight. Opening the closet door Owen kicked off his shoes and snuggled back into his warm blankets. His last thoughts were of how much fun Dawn would've had dressing up and dancing.

"Owen? C'mon little man I know it's early but you've got to get up," Dawn called quietly to her brother and rubbed his back to get him to wake up.

"Dawn?" He looked up at her with half open eyes.

"Hey sleepyhead," She cooed softly as she gently ran her hand through his hair. He slowly got up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and Dawn picked up his pile of clothes for the day. "We gotta hurry if we want to catch the bus." Shuffling slowly through the quiet halls Dawn helped her still tired brother get ready for the day.

While on the bus Owen leaned against his sister and slept against her shoulder while Dawn kept a lookout for their stop. They got off in front of a post office and went in together. Dawn let Owen sit down on the wooden bench next to the door while she went up to the register. She had two boxes waiting for her and she signed for both of them and took them with her as Owen opened the door for her.

They sat outside the building with the boxes as they waited for the bus to come back. Owen was still a little drowsy but he perked up a little but more when she gave him their normal breakfast of a granola bar. Munching away on their food Dawn noticed a pay phone across the street and got to her feet.

"Wait here okay?" Owen nodded his head in understanding as his sister quickly jogged across the street. Looking back every couple of steps to make sure she could see him she made her way to a public pay phone that was located on the side of a building.

Digging deep into her pocket she shifted through the loose change until she located two quarters and put them into the phone. Lifting the phone from the cradle she typed in a series of numbers from deep within her memory. Hopefully he would be there to answer since he was practically her last reserve. The last time she saw him was when she was in high school and before he left he gave her his number and told her that if she needed anything that she should call him.

When **she** found the slip of paper she immediately got rid of it but by then Dawn had it memorized by heart. Now she desperately needed help and she waited with baited breath as the phone continued to ring but to her disappointment nobody answered.

"Dammit Barry!" Angrily shoving the phone back onto the cradle Dawn closed her eyes and leaned against the rough brick that sided the building. Tears beginning to well up she pressed her palms against her eyes and rubbed furiously until she saw a kaleidoscope of colors under her eyelids.

Taking a deep breath then letting the air quickly rush out Dawn stared at Owen standing next to the boxes. He was waiting there patiently for her return looking slightly tired but completely carefree and not worried in the slightest. He had complete faith in her that she would do the right thing for both of them and Dawn refused to let him down.

 **Hello! I'm back and the first thing I would like to say is thank you to all of you who have been patiently waiting for another chapter! I wanted to make sure that I'm getting the information right. When I was on my school's DC trip we only had about 30 minutes to explore the Smithsonian and for a person like me that loves museums that is definitely not enough time. The painting in this chapter is** ** _Big Band_** **by LeRoy Neiman and the song they are dancing to is Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman which is my personal favorite.**

 **As you can probably guess what I'm about to say now is that I apologize for my lack of grammar skills. I really hope that I haven't let any of you down since and that you are all still enjoying the story!**

 **IKhandoZatman-** Yet another child character that definitely reminds me of Owen! Lucy and Owen are both very faithful to their siblings and they both have this childlike curiosity and innocence that I love. Thank you again for reviewing I always love to read about what you think about my stories!

 **Perfectionist-** Hello! I'm sorry to make you wait and I'm really happy and ecstatic that you are enjoying my story! I really hope that I haven't let you down and thanks again for your support! I'll try not to make you wait a whole month before the next update.


	5. Chapter 5

"-and then we danced until it was time to go. You would've had so much fun Dawn it was the greatest!" The eldest Rutledge chuckled and smiled at the youngest as they walked down the sidewalk together.

"Sounds like you had quite an adventure there little man," after her unfruitful phone call Dawn seemed to be off in her little world and Owen took it upon himself to get her out. He told her all about his journey through the museum that he took last night and Dawn couldn't help but be captivated by his tale. Just seeing his eyes light up in excitement over his little late night excursion snapped her right out of her funk and got her smiling again. Overall Owen congratulated himself on a job well done but now his arms were aching with the heavy box in his arms.

"Are we almost there? My feet are killing me!" Smiling at his adorable little pout he gave her she nodded her head in the direction of the shop.

"It's right ahead Owen, just a few more steps and then you can put the box down," motivated by the idea of finally being able to put down his box he practically ran to the shop, but he stopped abruptly in front of the closed door that seemed to be mocking him. Chuckling at his predicament she rushed to open the door for him as both brother and sister stepped into the small pawn shop.

The shop itself was nothing to write home about but since it was the closest she could find next to the post office she couldn't afford to be picky. It smelled like mothballs and must while the black and white checkered laminate floor and the pale yellow wallpaper were both peeling in places. Owen put down his box and quickly made off to look at all the different items around the shop leaving Dawn to place the boxes on the counter next to the close by register.

Looking around for anybody in charge she noticed a hand bell sitting next to the register and she picked it up to ring it a couple times. She heard the rustling of boxes coming from a back room behind the counter as a gruff voice rang out,

"Keep your shirt on I'll be right there!"

"I'm in no hurry," Dawn called back reassuringly as she waited patiently with her boxes. Finally a tall portly man with peppered hair and a green striped polo shirt stepped out of back room and smiled at her as he put both hands on the counter.

"And what can I do for you today miss?" switching her weight from foot to foot in a nervous fashion Dawn put her hand on a box.

"I was hoping that I would be able to sell you some of my things," ripping open the tape that sealed the box Dawn reached in and pulled out a wooden box. It was about two feet wide and three feet tall made out of a dark wood with three drawers on the side.

"What do we have here?" The man exclaimed curiously as he lifted up glasses that were hanging from a chain around his neck onto his nose.

"This was my art supplies chest where I kept my pencils, pastels, charcoal, ink, oil paint and water paint plus different brushes," while explaining Dawn opened up each drawer to show the rows of different colored and size art supplies while the pawnbroker just nodded his head. After she finished the man took his own time looking over her most prized possession and humming periodically which she took as a good sign.

Waiting for him to finish his inspection Dawn turned her head to look for Owen since he was being uncharacteristically quiet since the walked into the shop. She noticed him sitting quietly in a corner if the shop while reading from one of the books that he must've found interesting. Turning her attention back to the shop owner he gave a deep sigh then looked her straight in the eye.

"I'll give you sixty bucks," to say that Dawn felt offended by the small amount that the man wanted would be an understatement. All of that time she spent saving up her money for those supplies felt wasted.

" _Excuse me_? There has to be at least over a hundred-and-fifty bucks of art supplies in there!"

"Normally I would agree with you but nobody is going to buy art supplies where a majority of them have been half-way used," bowing her head in defeat she reluctantly nodded her head in agreement "I'm sorry, but like I said I'll give you sixty for the chest itself."

"Fine," opening the drawers Dawn took the supplies out and put them back into the box that the chest came out of.

"Is there anything else you want to sell?"

"Yeah," grabbing the skinny box next to her Dawn opened the top then grabbed the object and pulled it up so the man could see, "think I could get twenty-five for my easel?"

"It's a deal," the pawnbroker agreed and took the box out of her hands "let's finish up and I'll get you your cash."

Dawn got her money and the siblings walked back to the bus stop quietly as she carried the box containing her unsold supplies. They both took a seat on a bench and Owen rummaged through the different colored paints and pencils while Dawn sat down and contemplated. Hopefully she would be able to find a good winter jacket for Owen with the money she received. Slowly but surely she was making some money but Dawn knew that a coat would make a dent in her savings so that's why she wanted to sell her supplies. She sent a message to her old roommate and two days ago she got a reply saying that the items she wanted were being sent her way.

"What's this?" Dawn snapped back into reality at her brother's questioning tone. She looked over to see him holding on to a familiar wooden doll that was only a foot tall.

"It's my artist manikin," holding out her hand Owen gently placed it in her grasp as she smiled at the familiar figure "I used him by posing him in different ways then drawing him."

"Can I have him?"

"Sure, knock yourself out...but not literally, okay?"

"What should his name be?" Owen asked excitedly.

"How about...Manny?"

"Manny?" Owen scrunched up his nose in distaste, "That's a stupid name."

"No it's not!" Dawn defended, "He's Manny the manikin."

"Well, he is mine now and I say that his name isn't Manny."

"Fine then what is his name?" Owen was quiet for a moment and when he didn't give her an answer she reveled in victory "See? Manny is the perfect name!"

"Dawwwnnnn!" the young boy whined at his sister's teasing as both siblings got up off the bench and got into the bus the pulled up in front of them. They argued back and forth during the whole bus ride and even until they got back to their closet.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Owen woke up that night to the sound of a light thud coming from the door. Rubbing his eyes as he sat up the young boy looked over to make sure that his sister was still sleeping. Hearing the noise again he reached over to his backpack and grabbed his flashlight keychain. Shining his light on the culprit Owen jumped in surprise as he saw Dawn's wooden manikin jumping and trying to reach the door knob.

"Do you want some help?" The doll jumped in fright and turned to brace his back against the door as he faced Owen.

"Hey, don't worry I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Owen," the young boy gave the wooden figure a reassuring smile which caused the doll to stop shaking like a leaf. Cautiously holding out his hand so he wouldn't spook his new friend the doll carefully stepped onto the hand and Owen lifted him up to eye level.

"That's not so bad now is it?" Owen questioned and the manikin nodded in agreement.

"Well, now that you're alive you can decide on what we should call you!"

"Do you know what you want your name to be?" The doll shook his head indicating that he had no preference, "Hmm...maybe Mr. Capone would have a suggestion, let's go find him!"

Making sure that Dawn was still asleep and his unnamed friend wouldn't fall off his hand Owen opened the closet door and made his way out into the museum. Finding it easier to walk around without the doll losing his balance Owen put him on his shoulder and eventually the duo found themselves in the Cathedral.

They waited and waited and soon the young boy found it harder and harder to keep his eyelids open and he soon fell asleep. Feeling his shoulders being lightly shaken Owen slowly opened his eyes and frowned when he didn't see the familiar gangster but a French Emperor instead.

"I gather that you were expecting the gangster." Napoleon deduced after seeing the small frown the boy was giving him. After Capone threatening to pummel him to the ground the Frenchman took over the bootlegger's rounds for the night while Al spent his night off playing cards with his men.

"Yep! Do you know if he is coming tonight?" Snapping awake with a renewed source of energy Owen jumped off the bench while Napoleon huffed in irritation.

"Monsieur Capone is _préoccupé_ so go on and get back to where you belong." Napoleon made a shooing motion but Owen refused to leave. Lifting up his new friend for the Frenchman to see Owen frowned at Napoleon.

"We can't go until we find him a name!" Putting his friend back on his shoulder the boy crossed his arms in defiance and the manikin on his shoulder copied his action.

"And why is it important that you find him a name tonight?" Napoleon pressed. Owen thought for a second about his response and decided that the best way to get the Frenchman to comply with his wants was to butter him up a little.

"Well, I want him to have an amazing name like yours!" Napoleon practically preened at Owen's compliment while the boy gave the wooden doll a smug smile.

"You are right my _petit ami_ , everybody deserves a unique name such as mine! And I will help you search with your friend for the perfect name." Patting himself on the back for his own genius the trio made their way through the museums searching for the perfect name.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Ms. Rutledge?" The woman in question jerked her head up in response to the voice and smacked her head on the wooden bench where she was scrapping off dried gum.

"Ouch," rubbing her sore forehead Dawn stood up and craned her neck in order to look at the tall man standing in front of her. He was an intimidating figure with his broad shoulders and square jaw.

"My name is Mr. Elston, I'm the head of security and I've been told by Mr. Wilke that you're interested in the position of night guard," Dawn held her breath in anticipation as she nodded her head at his statement.

"Yes, I'm very interested in the job."

"Well I'm sorry to have to inform you but we actually filled the position last week," She didn't even have enough time to hope that she would be getting another job before her dreams were crushed. Taken aback by what Mr. Elston said she almost didn't hear him continue speaking, "however since Mr. Wilke gave you such a glowing review of your hard work if the position is opened again you will be the first to know."

"Thanks," she eventually croaked out as Mr. Elston left her standing there in a daze. She raised her arm to run her hand through her hair and felt a wad of gum stuck in her raven strands. Fighting to keep the tears at bay she plopped down on the bench and released a ragged breath as one tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

Dawn was restless that evening as she watched the gentle rise and fall of her brother's chest as he slept. She was worried that he wasn't getting enough sleep because she noticed that Owen would tire out earlier in the day and would sleep in really late. They were both exhausted lately but no matter how tired both siblings were Dawn would get up the next morning and work and when she got back to the closet Owen would always be there with another story of his late night adventures through the museum while she relaxed.

Releasing a sigh she gently carded her fingers through his hair and gently placed a kiss on his forehead before standing up and quietly opening the closet door. She didn't even realize where her feet were taking her until she found herself sitting on a bench right in front of the exhibit containing that monochrome bootlegger.

"He trusts you," three words were all it took for all of the stress to come crashing down upon her and the tears flooded her vision, "In all honesty I don't know what I should be more worried about, the fact that he truly believes that the museum comes to life or that he's friends with a famous gangster."

"But in the end you've made him happy which is something I'll be eternally grateful for," she gave the wax figure a watery smile as the tears continued to stream down her face, "because I was worried that he would be miserable and I didn't want him to see how bad off we really are."

"I'm trying my hardest, but life keeps throwing my attempts back at me as if to say that it's not enough."

"You've helped out Owen how 'bout helping me out as well?" Dawn was silent for a moment as if she was waiting for a response but the figure behind the glass remained quiet, "Great, now I'm talking to a mannequin like it can actually hear me. So not only am I a coward but I'm crazy as well."

Feeling absolutely exhausted and drained the raven haired woman wiped the tears off her face and got up off the bench. As she walked away she didn't know that that whole time a pair of eyes were watching her.

 **Hello! So I actually don't have that much to say even though it's been a while since I've updated. I hope you like our new character and for what direction I'm planning this story to go you can expect another new character next chapter as well. My question for you guy is there any other historical figures that you guys want to see in this story? If there is just tell me because I'll try my darndest to get them into the story just for you! Also as a side note if any of the characters speak in a different language I will be using Google Translate to look up words. Thank you again to all you amazing people that have stuck with my story and please review because I want to know what you guys are doing!**

 **IKhandoZatman** \- I'm really really happy that you enjoyed the chapter with Owen and Capone. For a while I was having a hard time deciding what they would see and what would happen but I'm happy that it turned out so well. Also I would like to thank you for being such an amazing person for reviewing all of my chapters because I really appreciate it!

 **Perfectionist** \- Oh my god I am so sorry! I feel like I have to apologize to you because in my last chapter I said I would try to make you not wait a month and you had to wait several! Again I'm so sorry but now I think I have a plan for how I want this story to go so hopefully I'll get the next chapter out sooner! Thanks for sticking with me!


	6. Chapter 6

Danielle Cartmann (or Danny as her friends called her) was having a rotten day so far. She had an organic chemistry test that she was certain that she failed and one of her professors decided to move up the due date of her paper. Then, to top it all off her washing machine broke which resulted in her walking to the nearest laundromat until she could get someone to repair it.

It would've been easier to ask her neighbor to use her machines, but Danielle wasn't fond of the idea of her clothes smelling like the two packs of cigarettes that her neighbor, Mrs. Flanagan, smoked daily along with the enduring smell of cat urine. So, all in all, it was easier to pack up all her dirty clothes, take them down the three flights of stairs and walk over to the neighborhood laundromat.

After claiming two washers, she loaded them both up with clothes and detergent before slamming the doors shut and starting both machines. Plopping herself down on a hard plastic chair she was halfway done with her gossip magazine when she heard the tinkling noise of the tiny bell attached to the handle of the front door. Danielle watched in curiosity as the two new people rushed through the door to escape the cold and blustery weather. She watched as a short blonde boy in a blue fleece jacket and a green cap come through the door followed by a young woman that was either the kid's sister or mother enter after the child and close the door.

The raven-haired woman had a light, gray jacket that covered what looked like a work uniform. She was carrying a backpack that looked like it would burst at the seems at any second and a slightly smaller bag that was full as well. She watched as the woman directed the boy to sit down as she began to unload their belongings into the machine.

Turning her attention back to the magazine in her hands Danny was back in her little world filled with shirtless male models and exotic places with designer clothing that she would never be able to afford thanks to her college debt.

Thirty minutes later her eyelids were drooping, and her head felt like a dead weight on top of her neck as it kept bobbing forwards before jerking back up. The only thing that prevented her from succumbing to sleep and taking a nap right there was the fact that her phone started vibrating in her pocket. Snapping herself out of her drowsiness she checked to see that the timer for the dryer was done.

Peeling herself off of the semi-comfortable chair she went over to the dryer and started pulling out clothes and folding them. Noticing the woman and child duo Dannielle saw that she wasn't the only one that was feeling tired and that the woman also fell asleep while the young boy was busy ready a big book.

Finishing up her folding Danny tied up her laundry bag and didn't give a second thought to the people she saw in the laundromat. Hopefully, if she got back to her apartment fast enough, she'd be able to catch the new episode of The Bachelor before her roommate could steal the remote.

A week later Danielle was once again back doing her laundry because she believed that the repairman was trying to rip her off with his estimate. Her sister's boyfriend Randy said that he would come down in two weeks and fix the machine for her so until then she just had to use the laundromat. When she made it through the door of the building and went to the washers, she noticed the woman and kid from last week. The child was preoccupied with his book while the woman had darker rings under her eyes and was sleeping in her chair. Once everything was loaded, and the little door was closed, and the washer began doing its thing Danielle whipped out her tablet from her purse and started doing some work.

She was proofreading her paper when she heard the sound of the dryer buzzer and looked up to see if it was hers. Realizing that her dryer still had fifteen minutes left she went back to her work and messaging her sister.

Ten minutes later Danny noticed that nobody had collected their clothes from the dryer that was done and she was starting to become concerned. Looking around the room, she saw an elderly couple putting their clothes in the washer and the siblings still in the same spot and doing the same thing. Figuring out that it was probably their clothes in the dryer it took Danielle five minutes to work up the courage to get up and walk over to them.

"Excuse me, I think your dryer is done," Dawn heard a voice coming from above her and slowly opened her eyes to see a young African American woman standing there and shifting nervously back and forth.

"Hmm? Oh, thanks..." Dawn was still trying to wake up, but she still held out her hand.

"Danny." the woman supplied as she took the offered hand and shook it.

"Thank you, Danny, I would've forgotten all about that if you didn't tell me, I'm Dawn. This is my brother Owen," The raven haired woman motioned to the young kid next to her and the little boy gave Danielle a huge smile.

"Hello! It's nice to meet you," Owen stuck out his hand, and Danny couldn't help but smile back at him and shake his hand then he turned to his sister, "Dawn, can I start unloading the dryer?"

"You go for it little man," Dawn smiled down at her brother, and he rushed off to the dryer.

"He's such a cutie! I've got a niece that's around his age."

"Yeah, I can just tell that he's going to be a real charmer when he's older. He has this ability just to sit down with someone he has never met, and five minutes later they will be talking like they're long lost friends," Dawn gave Danny a soft smile and was about to say something else when her face contorted in pain as she started to cough into her elbow.

"Are you okay there?" Danny couldn't help but be concerned, but Dawn just shook her head.

"Yeah I'm fine, just a little bit under the weather," Dannielle didn't believe her, but she knew that it wasn't any of her business "I should probably get our clothes so we can head back. Thank you again for telling me about the dryer."

Danny watched her walk away and later on when she left she turned to see Dawn's brother waving goodbye to her.

Dawn didn't look good at all in Owen's opinion. She had been sniffling and sneezing all morning, and her movements were sluggish, but she kept insisting that she was fine as she walked out of the closet to start work. Owen was worried for his sister, but Mr. Wilke noticed that Dawn wasn't feeling good as well and gave her the rest of the day off.

"I'm just going to take a quick nap, and I'll feel better later," Dawn told her brother as she wrapped herself up in the blankets as tight as possible and quickly dropped off to sleep.

Owen sat quietly as his sister slept and listened to the wheezing noise that was produced every time she breathed in. Feeling bad that Dawn was sick Owen decided that he needed to do something to help her so she could just worry about getting better.

Noticing the half full bag of dirty laundry in the corner Owen had an idea of how he could help his sister.

Week three of not having a functioning washer and Danielle was pissed. Randy visited her that afternoon and promised that he'd get it done in under and hour but three hours later the washer was worse than when he started out. It was late in the evening, and she was getting ready to leave when she saw a familiar little boy enter the building.

At first, she wasn't sure if what she was seeing was true and look to the door to see if his sister was entering behind him. Owen had finished loading and starting the washer and sat down on a chair when Danny finally realized that he was alone.

"Owen?" The boy jumped slightly in surprise when she called him, but once he recognized who was speaking to him, he gave her a big smile.

"Hello!" Owen patted the chair next to him inviting her to sit next to him, and Dannielle couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Hey Owen. Where is your sister? I didn't see her come in with you."

"Oh she's getting her haircut down the street, and she said I could get some of the laundry done early if I came right back once the clothes were done," Owen replied quickly.

To say that Danny was impressed would be an understatement. She didn't believe what he told her was true, but he didn't avoid eye contact with her, and he remained completely calm as he spun his tall tale.

"Did you guys have to walk far?"

"Just a couple of blocks." Owen shrugged. Danny pursed her lips before taking out a piece of paper and a pen from her purse. She scribbled down a series of numbers before handing it to the kid.

"If you and your sister ever need a ride just give me a call, and I'll hook you up with one okay?" The little boy nodded and carefully tucked away the paper into his pocket.

"Can I help you with your laundry?" Owen asked, and Danny couldn't help but smile at how polite and helpful he was being.

"I would love some help." And together they loaded her machine while Owen kept her entertained with random little facts here and there as they did their laundry.

"Did you know that George Washington had no middle name?"

"The Roman Emperor Caligula made one of his horses a senator!"

"The Great Wall can not be seen from space."

"How do you still have room in that big brain of yours to remember all those facts?" The young child in front of her just shrugged his shoulders as he folded a shirt.

"Dunno, just can." Danny couldn't help but chuckle and ruffle the kid's hair.

"Thanks for helping me out squirt! I'm gonna head to the bathroom real quick then I'll give you a ride home." She didn't see the panic on the boy's face as she went to the back where the restrooms were. When she came back, Owen and his bag were already gone.

Barely making it back before the building closed for the night Owen carefully snuck back into the closet and placed the bag filled with clean clothes in the corner. Hearing a light tapping noise, he looked up to see the little wooden manikin standing next to Owen's backpack. Giving his little friend a smile Owen slowly and quietly sat down beside his sister who was still sleeping.

"Dawn?" Owen lifted a hand and began lightly rocking his sister's arm so she would wake up. Every second that she didn't open her eyes made the young boy panic even more as fear gripped his heart.

"Dawn, why aren't you waking up?" His eyes were starting to mist up as he started shaking Dawn harder and harder until finally, he noticed her eyes open a little before they closed again. Owen was scared and wasn't sure what to do until he remembered a little scrap of paper that he put in his pocket.

 _If you and your sister ever need a ride just give me a call, and I'll hook you up with one okay?_

Quickly making his way over to Dawn's backpack he reached into the secret pocket in the back and pulled out the flip phone that Dawn said was only for emergencies. Punching in the numbers, he listened carefully as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Owen was relieved to hear the tires sounding yet familiar voice as tears began to flow down his face.

"Danny!"

"Owen? What's the matter, sweetie?" More tears began to flow, and everything looked blurry to Owen.

"Dawn isn't feeling well, and I can't get her to stay awake!" The tears were flowing freely down his face at this point.

"Okay just calm down Owen I'll be over there soon okay just tell me where to get you guys." Owen paused for a moment because Dawn always told him that they couldn't tell anybody that they were here but at this moment he didn't know what else he could do.

"The Smithsonian Castle"

"I'll be over there to pick you up in ten minutes. Just stand and wait outside the castle with your sister so I can find you. It'll all be okay Owen I'm coming to help you." Danny ended the call, and Owen was still scared so he got up and shot out of the closet to go and find the other person he could trust to help.

"I'll be back tomorrow night I just have to finish my patrol." Putting on his hat and fixing his suit jacket Al Capone started making his way towards the door.

"Time is ticking Mr. Capone, and I want this done sooner rather than later." The voice coming from the shadows admonished.

"Just keep your shirt on we still have time. I've got my best boys on the job." A huff of disbelief was his response as he made his way out of the small room and back into the stairwell. Making his way up several flights of stairs the gangster hadn't taken five steps when he heard a voice call out.

"AL!"

After not seeing the boy in a couple nights Capone was surprised when Owen came barreling around the corner at full speed and launched himself at the gangster.

"Woah, slow down there kid! Where's the fire?" Al saw the panic in the kids face and before he could ask any more questions Owen had grabbed his hand and started pulling him in the opposite direction.

"I need help come with me!"

Dawn was drifting in and out of consciousness while her whole body felt numb and her head was throbbing in pain. She felt cold, but at the same time, she could feel the sweat on her brow as she wrapped the blankets closer around her body. Dawn thought she heard the muffled voices of Owen and what sounded like another man but as soon as she heard it, it was gone again. It was a struggle to try and wake up but eventually she was able to open her eyes slightly to see the blurred shape of a man sitting on the other side of the room.

Al felt like someone was watching him and looked up to see the eyes of Owen's sister practically glow in the muted light of the closet. He couldn't help himself as he scooted closer to those entrancing eyes and he smirked as her eyes grew larger the closer he came.

"Well hello, bright eyes."

 **Hello! Did you guys miss me? This chapter has been extremely difficult to plan out because it essentially decided where the story is going to go from now on. Thanks to all of you that have favorited, followed and reviewed because all of your support keeps me writing! So please read and review because I like hearing what you guys are thinking! -Christina**

 **IKhandoZatman-** It's always nice to see your reviews whenever I put up a new chapter! I'm glad that you love Owen so much too!

 **TheSilvernote-** Thank you for the confidence boost that your review gave me : ) and I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner than this one!

 **Liandra2428-** I'll tell you right now that you are completely correct that this is a romance fanfic about Dawn and Al! It might be a little slow going right now but I'll get there eventually. Thank you so much for reviewing!

 **1bluesapphire-** That is a fantastic idea! Although it probably won't happen until a later chapter I'll make sure that Anne Frank does get into this story somehow! I appreciate the review and suggestion!


	7. Chapter 7

"Am I dead?" That was the only explanation that made the most sense to Dawn at the time. How else would she be seeing the slightly blurry looking black and white gangster in front of her? The man just chuckled and gave her a charming smile that could melt the ice caps.

"Nah, you'll be right as rain as soon enough. We just gotta wait for the kid to come back with your ride." Al barely got a word out before Owen practically shoved him in the small closet before he rushed out to meet someone named Danny. His last words were to remind Al to look after his sister while he was gone then he rushed out of the room like a bat out of hell.

Left alone with Owen's sister the gangster noticed that the siblings shared the same small nose but their hair colors were practically night and day. Another attribute that both Owen and Dawn shared were their piercing green eyes. Those same haunted eyes that Al remembered looking back at him through the plexiglass that separated them.

" _I'm trying my hardest, but life keeps throwing my attempts back at me as if to say that it's not enough."_

" _You've helped out Owen how 'bout helping me out as well?"_

He was helpless as tear after tear rolled down her cheek as she looked at him like he held all of the answers to her questions. He'd never had anyone look at him that way before, and here he was again as those half-glazed jade eyes looking at him in worry. But this time was different, this time he could do something.

"Owen? Where's Owen?" Dawn called out in a raspy voice as she tried to prop herself up onto her elbows, but the room began to spin so she lowered her body back down. Her head was pounding, and she felt weak.

"Just calm down, he'll be back soon enough." The monochrome man tried to reassure her, but beneath his relaxed exterior, Al was wondering what was taking the kid so long to get back. He was tempted to leave just for a minute to see if the kid was coming but a small whimper coming from Dawn had him glued to the spot.

"Just rest your eyes for a bit, and I'll wake you up when the kid gets back, that sound good?" Dawn just nodded her head slowly and wrapped the blankets closer around her body as she closed her eyes. When she gave a small sigh of content Al's mouth quirked with a small smile.

"Danny is here all we have to do is get Dawn to the entrance!" the woman in question heard the voice of her brother as she opened her eyes slightly.

"Owen..." came her low groaning voice as her sibling quickly moved to kneel next to his sister and give her a sweet smile and brushing away the hair stuck to her sweaty forehead.

"Don't worry sis I'm here, and I got you some help!" Dawn gave her brother a small smile before closing her eyes again in exhaustion.

"C'mon, up you go." Al wrapped Dawn's body as best as he could with the blankets as he picked up her lithe body in a bridal style carry. Owen quickly threw some clothes and other items into a backpack and put it on his back. Al nodded his head towards the door and followed behind Owen "Lead the way kid."

Walking down the corridors, Dawn's head lolled to the side, and the gangster had to readjust the wrapped bundle in his arms until her head was tucked into his neck. The warm puffs of her breath against his neck was distracting as her lips were centimeters away from his neck and he could barely feel the light brushes of her eyelashes against the sensitive skin. He could hardly hold back a groan as she curled up closer to the warmth of his body and let out a small content sigh.

Finally, they made it out of the building and out into the cool damp air as it was lightly sprinkling. Al frowned as he looked around for the car that Owen told him would be there as the bundle in his arms began to shake slightly.

"I told Danny to wait and that I would go get Dawn." Al just nodded and slowly started lowering Dawn to the ground.

"I'm gonna put your sister down, and then I have to head back before the sun starts to rise." Owen just nodded his head mutely as Al put Dawn down, but it was plain to see that he was still a little scared for his sister.

"Keep you chin up kid you did good tonight. Your sister is going to be proud of you for taking care of her." Al ruffled the boy's hair and gave him a reassuring grin and glanced at Dawn momentarily before he turned around and walked back into the museum leaving the siblings behind.

Once the gangster was out of sight, Owen ran to the street where Danny was waiting parked with her MINI Cooper. Seeing the little boy coming towards her Danny perked up and met him halfway as he motioned for her to follow him.

"She's right over here come on!" together they made it over to Dawn propped up against the side of the building and Danny kneeled in front of the young woman.

"Dawn? Can you hear me?" a grunt came from Dawn as she reluctantly opened her eyes to give Danny her fully attention.

"I'm gonna need you to stand up and walk with me to the car okay? I'll help you up, and you can lean on me on the way there." Dawn just sighed in acceptance as Danny put one of Dawn's arms around her neck as they both got up off the ground and slowly made their way to the car. Owen walked alongside them on Dawn's other side to make sure that his sister wouldn't tip over then he rushed to the car to open up the back door.

"Slowly...there we go." Dawn finally collapsed in the car seat while Danny got into the driver's seat Owen took his siblings seatbelt and buckled her in. Danny noticed the watery smile that Owen had on his exhausted face as he buckled into the seat next to his sister. Turning the ignition, she turned back in her seat and patted Owen gently on the knee and gave him a hopeful smile.

"It'll all be okay now Owen."

 **Hello! I know that it has been a while but to celebrate being done with finals and my birthday next Tuesday I thought that an appropriate present for you guys would be a new chapter! I hope that you enjoyed Dawn's first interaction with Al (although she was barely lucid for most of it). Thank you once again to everyone that has favorited, followed and reviewed** _ **Begin Again**_ **and my previous works!** **Please read and review so I know what is working and what can be approved! -Christina**

 **arwenishtar-** Thank you so much for your constructive criticism because I appreciate it! One of these days I will eventually get around to doing some spring cleaning on my stories. Then all of those run-on sentences, spelling mistakes, and grammar mistakes will be gone. I'm glad however that even though those run-on can be distracting that you are still enjoying the story!

 **Liandra2428-** Finally I get to reply to your review! Thank you for the lovely comment, and I hope that the meeting between Al and Dawn was everything that you were waiting for. And thank you for the good luck you sent my way!

 **AngelofMusic-2004-** Wait! Come back! I updated! Thank you! Love you too! Don't leave! I loved your review!


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